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GOV.UK Template vs HSTS

Based on 10 and 2556 real audits

MetricGOV.UK TemplateHSTSWinner
Performance8049GOV.UK Template
Accessibility9989GOV.UK Template
Best Practices10088GOV.UK Template
SEO9891GOV.UK Template
Security8170GOV.UK Template
TTFB207ms364msGOV.UK Template
Composite8675GOV.UK Template
Performance
GOV.UK Template
80
HSTS
49
Accessibility
GOV.UK Template
99
HSTS
89
Security
GOV.UK Template
81
HSTS
70
SEO
GOV.UK Template
98
HSTS
91
Composite
GOV.UK Template
86
HSTS
75

GOV.UK Template outperforms HSTS in 7 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (86 vs 75). HSTS leads in no categories.

When to choose GOV.UK Template

Choose GOV.UK Template when your primary concern is server response time and performance. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

When to choose HSTS

HSTS doesn't clearly lead GOV.UK Template in any category on the sampled sites — pick it based on developer experience, ecosystem, or existing team skills rather than the audit scores.

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 10 audited GOV.UK Template sites and 2556 audited HSTS sites in the BeaverCheck database. Every audit runs the same 100+ checks — Lighthouse performance, security headers, accessibility, SEO, server response time — against a real URL. No vendor input, no sponsorship, no affiliate links. Read the full methodology →

FAQ

Which is faster, GOV.UK Template or HSTS?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, GOV.UK Template sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (80 vs 49 on average).
Which has better security, GOV.UK Template or HSTS?
GOV.UK Template sites score higher on security analysis (81 vs 70 on average).
Which has better accessibility, GOV.UK Template or HSTS?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor GOV.UK Template (99 vs 89). Both technologies can be made fully accessible with care — the difference reflects common patterns in the sampled sites, not inherent platform limits.
Which is better for SEO, GOV.UK Template or HSTS?
GOV.UK Template sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (98 vs 91 on average), which cover meta tags, crawlability, mobile friendliness, and structured data. Content strategy and backlinks still matter more than platform choice for ranking.
Which has faster server response (TTFB), GOV.UK Template or HSTS?
GOV.UK Template sites show lower Time to First Byte (207 ms vs 364 ms on average). TTFB depends heavily on hosting and CDN setup rather than the technology itself, but the sampled sites suggest a meaningful difference in common deployment patterns.
Should I choose GOV.UK Template or HSTS for my website?
Both platforms have trade-offs. GOV.UK Template scores higher on overall composite score while GOV.UK Template may excel in metrics you care about most. Run a free BeaverCheck audit on a real site using each to compare the metrics relevant to your use case.

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